Crime is high on the public agenda. Crimes against individuals - such as theft, burglary and assault - increased by 73 per cent between 1981 and 1995 to 19 million in England and Wales, according to the British Crime Survey of households.
A disproportionate amount of crime is committed by young people, especially young males. In 1994, two out of every five known offenders were under the age of 21, and a quarter were under 18. Those under the age of 18 are dealt with separately from adults, by the youth courts, and are the subject of this report.
Public services undertake three activities in relation to offending by young people. First, they identify young offenders and go through the process of deciding whether they are guilty and, if so, what to do with them; second, they deal with those who admit their guilt or who are found guilty; and third, they attempt to prevent or reduce offending by young people.
This report examines the distribution of resources between these three activities, as well as how efficiently and effectively they are carried out.